Going on television is said to be a very serious matter. This was his first TV performance in this world, you could say it was his very first step—extremely important.

Finally, it was time for Samuel Parker and James Scott to wait backstage.

With a signal from the staff, Samuel Parker and James Scott exchanged a glance. Samuel Parker took the lead, and the two of them stepped out from backstage, walked to the center of the stage, and bowed to the audience.

Both of them wore the same dark blue long gown. One was hailed by fans as a stunning beauty, while the other had a round face and smiling eyes, creating a striking contrast.

The audience immediately erupted in thunderous applause—not just because the director asked for it. One had the looks, the other had national popularity; everyone was happy to applaud.

Samuel Parker gave a slight smile, and before he even spoke, another wave of uncontrollable screams broke out in the audience.

Unlike the last time at the teahouse, today’s audience was mostly young people, especially women, so naturally, the reaction to Samuel Parker was much bigger.

He wore a plain, solid-colored long gown, his face looking fresh and clean. His features were somewhat Westernized, but somehow, this didn’t clash at all with the traditional attire. Maybe it was because his every gesture still carried an Eastern air.

This was Samuel Parker’s second time performing crosstalk in this world. Compared to last time, this audience was a bit “harder to handle”—they cared even more about looks.

James Scott had reminded Samuel Parker of this issue repeatedly: be careful not to let the audience throw off your rhythm. Luckily, today wasn’t a live broadcast, so if anything happened, it could be edited out later.

“Thank you, everyone. I don’t even know if your applause is for me or for the previous act,” Samuel Parker said smoothly.

As soon as he spoke, the applause gradually died down. By the second half of his sentence, many in the audience were chuckling. Wasn’t the previous act Edward Bolton? Who didn’t know how Edward Bolton trashed Samuel Parker online?

This line from Samuel Parker wasn’t in the script the TV station gave them, but since this was a pre-recorded show, the requirements weren’t so strict. They didn’t have to stick to the script word for word, as long as nothing was out of line. And even if it was, it could be edited out.

Samuel Parker had his own performance habits. If he was sharing the stage with someone else, he liked to mention the previous act at the start, to prevent the audience from still being immersed in the last performance and to naturally bring everyone into his own act.

Besides, he’d had a run-in with Edward Bolton before. Although he had a good temper, he could be a bit mischievous. So, right away, he used Edward Bolton as material for a joke. He knew this would work well.

James Scott was a seasoned performer. Even though this line was improvised, he could handle it. He’d also looked into Samuel Parker and knew about his history with Edward Bolton, so he immediately chimed in, “Great act!”

Samuel Parker: “Right, we could hear it backstage too. I listened to the whole thing—looked really good!”

The audience burst out laughing. Most people knew about that time Edward Bolton commented on Samuel Parker with the line, “I listened to the whole thing—looked really good!” Even if they didn’t, the line itself was pretty funny.

No one expected Samuel Parker to joke about this as soon as he got on stage—it was basically a comeback, so how could the audience not get excited?

People had always heard about Edward Bolton mocking this person or that, but to see someone roast Edward Bolton to his face—now that was something new.

The audience started whispering among themselves. They were all young people, and originally thought the pairing of a pretty face with a traditional crosstalk master was just a gimmick, and the content would probably be mediocre. At worst, they’d just spend twenty minutes looking at a handsome guy.

Who knew their expectations would be subverted by Samuel Parker in a different way? His performance was actually quite good. In just a few lines—maybe written by a scriptwriter—the delivery was unexpectedly natural and didn’t feel awkward at all.

The audience was hyped. After the Guanshan Band finished performing, they sat at the round tables below. Later, there would be a segment where all the artists handed out mooncakes to the audience.

You could see Edward Bolton’s face turn dark: “……”

In contrast, the band members next to him were laughing so hard they were holding their stomachs.

Watching Edward Bolton get put in his place was just too funny, right? Especially since they remembered Edward Bolton even hummed “Why Bother with the West Chamber”—what kind of fated entanglement was this?

The audience reacted just as Samuel Parker expected. James Scott couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Hey, wait a minute, what do you mean by ‘looked really good’?”

Only then did Samuel Parker go, “Oh, I meant, sang really well!”

James Scott: “Ah, that’s more like it.”

At this point, the director’s team was quietly discussing among themselves, all smiling. Agreeing to this act was really worth it. Even though that line wasn’t in the script, the effect was fantastic.

For the TV station, they loved this kind of segment!

As for Edward Bolton, whatever. His sharp tongue—insulting people was nothing new. But who would’ve thought Samuel Parker could hold his own, firing back on the spot. No wonder—he’s got his mom backing him up. A newcomer with nothing to fear, just clapping back on the show.

And it wasn’t even insulting—he kept it measured. Speaking of which, Edward Bolton really does look pretty good.

Samuel Parker added, “The singing skills are truly excellent. Just, just standing there and performing—everyone, I guarantee, he’ll never go off-key!”

James Scott: “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”